A five-star hotel in the Huan province of China on the shores of Lake Dongting, thirty-storey high and with a total area of 17 thousand square meters, was built in just 15 days. At the same time, a very small group of builders was needed to erect the building - 200 people and only one tower crane. The development and implementation of the project was carried out by BSB (Broad Sustainable Building), and the composition of the work, completed in such a short time, also included the finishing and "filling" of the building. It cannot be said that it took the workers 15 days to erect the hotel tower already on the finished foundation, which took a separate time to fill. However, the timing is mind-boggling.
The record speed of construction was ensured by a unique technology specially developed by the company. In fact, the building was not built, but assembled like a large constructor from separate and pre-fabricated elements. All large parts - mainly steel plates of various shapes and columns with diagonal spacing, on which the floors rest - were manufactured at the factory long before the start of construction. The side panels were made with pre-built electrical cables, air ducts, pipelines, Isover mineral wool heat and sound insulation from Saint-Gobain, and even interior decoration elements such as LED lamps, floor tiles and double-glazed windows.
Thus, most of the work on the laying of communications was already done at the plant. And in addition, pins and grooves were provided in all parts to facilitate the assembly process. Moreover, if you believe the statements of the developers, the error did not exceed 2 mm, which means that no additional adjustment or measurements were required. As a result, during the construction of the building, the builders simply had to connect the ready-made and perfectly fitted parts to each other, then, after installing the floor slabs, put the walls in place, stretch the elements of the electrical network and other communications - and the base of the building is ready. Stairs and external walls, 15 cm thick, were installed like supporting structures. The exterior wall decoration technology has been simplified as much as possible. It is also prefabricated: on the supporting columns, fasteners are provided for both heaters and heating structures, etc.
According to the data provided by BSB, the transportation of the elements was greatly facilitated by the standard dimensions of the finished slabs, folded from typical square segments. For the construction of one floor, about 36 segments were required, which could be delivered in just eight flights. Each floor was brought to a state of almost complete readiness, including glazing, interior decoration - up to the arrangement of furniture. Only after that did the builders start assembling the next floor. Such an unusual construction technology, strikingly different from the traditional, phased, also helped to significantly reduce the overall construction time.
In addition to the speed of implementation, the building can boast of other advantages. It cannot be said that the house is distinguished by its architectural delights: it is a laconic, square glass tower. However, according to BSB, the hotel was built not only quickly and economically (the cost of its construction was $ 17 million), but also reliably: the tower can withstand an earthquake of up to nine points. Earthquake Resistant Design is one of the profiles of Broad Sustainable Building. BSB employees have been working on this topic since 2008. To date, one of the most advanced is the construction of the lightest steel elements with vertical and diagonal supports - exactly the same that was used in the construction of the T30 hotel. Even at the design stage of the hotel, the Chinese Academy of Building Structures Research tested specially built miniature copies of a 30-storey hotel for seismic resistance. The study found that BSB buildings are three to ten times more sustainable than traditional construction.
Another advantage of the tower is energy efficiency: the hotel uses much less energy than conventional skyscrapers and is also very sensitive to the environment. The building uses a variety of and the most modern energy-saving technologies: from a competent system of thermal insulation of walls and roofs (thickness of heat panels - 15, and in some places - 35 cm) and ending with unusual elevators that allow you to generate energy when the cab is lowered. In addition, there are special systems for water purification and its reuse, as well as the technology of heat exchange between the external and internal environment and the purification of internal air - a direction in which BSB has been specializing for a long time. Add to this list of benefits durability and the use of sustainable materials and you have a near-perfect building.
Several similar buildings have been completed in recent years. For the first time, they started talking about high-speed construction using BSB technology after EXPO 2010 in Shanghai, where in just six hours a six-story pavilion was built right in front of the audience. In July of the same year, the company completed the project of the 15-story New Ark Hotel in Changsha in 160 hours, followed by the Broad Group pavilion in the Mexican city of Cancun in eight days. The construction of the T30 hotel was completed at the end of 2011, after which a 12-story building in Shandong appeared, the skeleton of which was erected in 62 hours, the T25 hotel in Yinchuan and a 17-story tower in China - built in 2014. According to BSB representatives, the company intends to put high-speed construction of houses of various degrees of complexity on stream, and the terms of implementation will become even faster. At this rate, in the future it will be possible to build 20 or even 50 houses per month.
